Great Falls Big Bear closing, North 40 to take over building and neighboring Kmart

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Big Bear Sporting Goods will be closing, and North 40 Outfitters has purchased its location along with the neighboring KMart store.(Photo: TRIBUNE PHOTO/TRACI ROSENBAUM)Buy Photo

After more than 50 years in business, the Great Falls Big Bear Sporting Goods store is closing its doors.

The building was sold to North 40 Outfitters, which announced Monday that it has secured rights to the former Big Bear building and has also finalized a lease to occupy the former Kmart location at 1000 3rd St. N.W.

“We’ve been in business in Great Falls for approximately 55 years," said Chuck McKenzie, one of Big Bear's owners, who has been with the company 45 years. "One of my friends characterized it as an end of an era, and that kind of choked me up a little.”

Customers still have some time to make their last shopping trips and say their goodbyes, though, as no definite closing date has been set.

The store will close Feb. 12 and 13 to prepare for its going-out-of-business sale, which begins on Valentine's Day.

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North 40 is taking over the old Kmart building on the NW Bypass, which closed in 2017.(Photo: TRIBUNE PHOTO/TRACI ROSENBAUM)

New store hours also take effect at that time. Big Bear will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.

The future of the Billings Big Bear location is also uncertain at this point, reports the Billings Gazette. Owners are working to finish the claim process with their insurance company after a 10-hour standoff in November caused significant damage to the store and led to the death of the suspect, who was shot by police.

This will be the second location for North 40 in Great Falls, and the store at 4400 10 Ave. S. will remain open.

Remodeling and construction plans for the new store are still preliminary, according to Monday's release, but the remodel could begin as soon as March.

"We saw an opportunity to expand our business base to further serve the city of Great Falls and the wider region surrounding our community here," said North 40 co-owner Wayne Wike in the release. "This will be an exciting, substantial addition for our company and city."

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(Photo: TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO)

North 40, formerly Big R Stores, maintains product lines focusing on farm and ranch needs but has expanded to include sporting goods, clothing, footwear, automotive, tools, pet, lawn and garden and hardware in recent years.

The new location will carry similar lines of products. When the remodel is complete, the building will be approximately 82,000 square feet.